Almost 5 million tune in for Australia’s first World Cup match

SBS’s broadcast of the Socceroos’ opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match reached more than 4.78 million Australians, as the national team’s 2-0 win over Türkiye topped Sunday’s television ratings.

The match delivered a Total TV average audience of 3.035 million across linear television and digital streaming, with 41.4% of viewers watching via SBS On Demand.

SBS said the result marks its highest total reach and average audience since the new VOZ ratings measurement system began in 2025.

The match was also the third most-watched event of the year across all free-to-air networks.

SBS’s World Cup coverage dominated Sunday’s ratings, with the Australia v Türkiye post-match program drawing 2.893 million viewers and the pre-match program attracting 2.599 million viewers. Together with the match itself, SBS claimed the top three programs of the day.

The broadcaster also had five of the top 10 programs on Sunday, with Brazil v Morocco placing seventh with a reach of 1.846 million and Haiti v Scotland ranking ninth with 1.501 million.

Across the first three days of the tournament, the FIFA World Cup 2026 reached 8.139 million Australians across SBS and SBS On Demand, including 5.431 million on linear television and 3.458 million on SBS On Demand.

Ken Shipp, director of sport at SBS, said the opening days of the tournament had delivered a strong response from Australian audiences.

“The FIFA World Cup 2026 has delivered an extraordinary opening three days, highlighted by the Socceroos’ magnificent victory in their opening match,” Shipp said.

“The response from Australians has been exceptional, with audience numbers reflecting the excitement, passion and national pride that only a FIFA World Cup can inspire.

“Australians have embraced both this historic tournament and the Socceroos’ journey, and that journey is only just beginning.”